Morning Lions Links for Monday 10-21-19

Articles:

NOTEBOOK: Johnson, Slay leave game with injuries:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/notebook-johnson-slay-leave-game-with-injuries

FOUR DOWNS: Lions' run defense needs improvement:   https://www.detroitlions.com/news/four-downs-lions-run-defense-needs-improvement

Detroit Lions drop vital NFC North game, fifth-straight to Vikings, 42-30:  https://www.mlive.com/sports/g66l-2019/10/218e4cc2824996/detroit-lions-drop-vital-nfc-north-game-fifthstraight-to-vikings-4230.html

Inside the locker room: Lions struggle to stop Minnesota’s run, play-action game in loss to Vikings:   https://www.mlive.com/lions/2019/10/inside-the-locker-room-lions-struggle-to-stop-minnesotas-run-play-action-game-in-loss-to-vikings.html

As officiating gets blasted at Ford Field, Al Riveron explains pass interference that nixed pick:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2019/10/as-officiating-gets-blasted-at-ford-field-al-riveron-explains-pass-interference-that-nixed-pick.html

What they’re saying nationally after Lions fall short in 42-30 shootout with Vikings:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2019/10/what-theyre-saying-nationally-after-lions-fall-short-in-42-30-shootout-with-vikings.html

Mitch Albom: Detroit Lions fans wanted revenge, defense couldn't deliver:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/mitch-albom/2019/10/21/detroit-lions-mitch-albom/4048806002/

Marvin Jones makes history, dazzles with 4 TD catches in loss:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/20/detroit-lions-marvin-jones-four-touchdowns-vikings/4048635002/

What Lions face with Kerryon Johnson's latest injury:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/20/detroit-lions-kerryon-johnson-knee-injury-offense-running-game/4048380002/

Detroit Lions football can get some tips from the Vikings:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/jeff-seidel/2019/10/20/detroit-lions-football-blueprint-minnesota-vikings-seidel/4048437002/

Laquon Treadwell: 'Easy' comment wasn't meant to disrespect Lions:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/20/laquon-treadwell-respect-detroit-lions-comment/4048832002/

Wojo: From yellow flags to red flags, Lions are plummeting:  https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/20/wojo-yellow-flags-red-flags-detroit-lions-plummeting/4047008002/

Niyo: Lions' defense is a stunning mess at every level:   https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/20/niyo-detroit-lions-defense-stunning-mess-every-level/4047004002/

Lions' divisional loss overshadows record day by Marvin Jones:  https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/20/detroit-lions-divisional-loss-overshadows-record-day-marvin-jones/4048861002/

Vikings' play-action gives Lions' defense fits:  https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/20/minnesota-vikings-play-action-gives-detroit-lions-defense-fits/4048649002/

Studs and duds from the Lions 42-30 loss to the Vikings:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2019/10/20/studs-and-duds-from-the-lions-42-30-loss-to-the-vikings/

Week 7 Player of the Game: Marvin Jones Jr.:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2019/10/20/week-7-player-of-the-game-marvin-jones-jr/

Lions defenseless in trying to stop the Vikings:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2019/10/20/lions-defense-failure-vikings-kirk-cousins/

Inside Matthew Stafford's climb to 40,000 yards and his place in NFL history:  https://www.freep.com/in-depth/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/20/matthew-stafford-40000-detroit-lions/3947053002/

Week 16 Lions vs. Broncos is a potential flex to Saturday:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2019/04/18/week-16-lions-vs-broncos-nfl-schedule-flex-game/

Five things to know about Detroit Lions home loss to Minnesota Vikings: https://lionslowdown.com/2019/10/20/five-things-to-know-about-detroit-lions-home-loss-to-minnesota-vikings/

Briggs: Lions fans booed the wrong guys Sunday:  https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/pro/2019/10/20/detroit-lions-fans-booing-refs-against-vikings/stories/20191020144

Week 7 NFL takeaways: Packers' points bonanza (The Lions have to fix their run defense. After yet another team sliced through its front, Detroit has major problems stopping anyone. It was a performance linebacker Devon Kennard called "embarrassing" and left coach Matt Patricia saying he'll look at everything in search of answers. If the Lions even want to think about the postseason after three consecutive losses to playoff-level teams, fixing the run defense has to be the first area to start. -- Michael Rothstein):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/page/nfl_32for32102019/week-7-nfl-takeaways-packers-points-bonanza

Jones' 4-TD day for Lions puts him in elite group:  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/27890298/lions-wr-marvin-jones-enjoys-second-career-4-touchdown-game

NFL Week 7 PFF ReFocused: Minnesota Vikings 42, Detroit Lions 30:  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-week-7-pff-refocused-minnesota-vikings-42-detroit-lions-30

What we learned from Sunday's Week 7 games (Minnesota Vikings 42, Detroit Lions 30 - 1. Don't look now, but the Vikings (5-2) are an offensive powerhouse -- and a balanced one at that. Kirk Cousins and Co. laid waste to an overmatched Lions defense for over 500 yards and 32 total first downs en route to posting a season-high 42 points. Minnesota did whatever it wanted to do on offense, and impressively did not suffer any drop-off after losing Adam Thielen to a hamstring injury in the first quarter. Cousins continued his aerial prowess, tossing TDs to four different receivers and connecting with Stefon Diggs (seven catches, 142 yards) for a game-clinching 66-yard bomb after the Lions made it a five-point game late in the fourth quarter. Cousins now has 10 TDs to one interception since his dreadful Week 4 performance against the Bears, and Sunday marked the first time in his career he's had back-to-back games with 300-plus passing yards and four scores.  Not do be outdone by Cousins, Dalvin Cook continued his All Pro-caliber season on the ground. Taking advantage of a struggling Lions run defense for 142 yards with two touchdowns of his own. When Minnesota plays like this, there is little a defense can do as evidenced by the Vikings' four straight TD drives at one point in the game.  2. It wasn't all roses for the Vikings, as their defense suffered their worst outing of the season and failed to slow down Matthew Stafford and Marvin Jones. Stafford found Jones for an astonishing four touchdowns as the Lions were forced to attack primarily through the air after Kerryon Johnson went down with a knee injury. Behind Stafford's strong arm, the Lions matched the Vikings score for score and entered the first half tied at 21 as Stafford also became the fastest quarterback to eclipse 40,000 career passing yards. But after seeing his defense force only two punts through three quarters, Matt Patricia went for it on fourth down from the Minnesota 41-yard line down 28-24. Stafford's pass to backup RB J.D. McKissic fell incomplete, and the Vikings scored six plays later to push their lead to 11. That sequence proved too big of a hurdle for Detroit to overcome.  3. This week was not kind to the Lions' postseason hopes. Detroit now sits at 2-3-1 and 0-2 in the NFC North following a controversial loss to the Packers, who improved to 6-1, and Sunday's home loss. It is not an insurmountable hole, but given the strength of the division, the Lions have little margin for error going forward. -- David Ely):   http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001067633/article/what-we-learned-from-sundays-week-7-games

Vikings Impress, Immense Sadness in Atlanta, More NFL Takeaways (THINGS THAT MADE ME GIDDY - The Kirk Cousins middle-finger tour continues:  Credit to the Vikings’ organization, which dug into Cousins’s recent past to discover that all you need to do in order to get the best out of him is to make him feel totally unwanted and undervalued.  In a shootout win over the Detroit Lions, Cousins chucked four touchdown passes, bringing his three-week total to 10 touchdowns and one interception. Stefon Diggs has another monstrous week, and Mike Zimmer can still enjoy a post-game Kodiak with the knowledge that Minnesota put up more than 100 rushing yards. You can have it both ways!  In all seriousness, this performance against a solid Lions defense moves Minnesota’s offense into ‘considerable threat’ territory. They’re 5-2 and have the winless Washington football team and a Patrick Mahomes-less Kansas City Chiefs team coming down the pike. There’s a chance they head into their Week 12 bye week in ridiculously good shape.  MOMENTS YOU’LL TELL YOUR GRANDKIDS ABOUT - Marvin Jones’s four touchdowns:  There is some helpless goof somewhere in America with only a middling knowledge of professional football, who rarely sets their starting lineup that started an auto-drafted Marvin Jones in their fantasy football league this Sunday. That person derailed your season, and at work on Monday will have absolutely no idea that it happened.):  https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/10/20/nfl-week-7-analysis-takeaways-kirk-cousins-vikings-matt-ryan-falcons

Marvin Jones Jr. has 4-touchdown day in Lions' loss:  https://sports.yahoo.com/marvin-jones-jr-has-4-touchdown-day-in-lions-loss-203949651.html

Matthew Stafford becomes fastest player to reach 40,000 career passing yards:  https://sports.yahoo.com/matthew-stafford-fastest-player-40000-career-passing-yards-181918801.html

Grades:

Lions grades: Defense a major failure at every position vs. Vikings:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/20/detroit-lions-grades-defense-failure-every-position-vs-vikings/4044655002/

Justin Rogers' Lions grades: Offense makes its mark, defense doesn't:  https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/20/justin-rogers-detroit-lions-grades-offense-makes-its-mark-defense-doesnt/4045547002/

CBS Grades ( Lions grade B+:  Detroit certainly did not fail this game. Penalties were yet again a headache, and the lack of any consistent running game was again a problem, but they were never really out of this game, and while their defense obviously surrendered tons of long drives to Cousins and Co., they were also missing several starters due to injury. The Lions seem somewhat incapable of delivering that "it" play/performance to take a step toward serious contender, but you could do a whole lot worse.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-week-7-grades-packers-get-an-a-for-steamrolling-raiders-texans-get-a-d-for-loss-to-colts/

Video:

Patricia on loss to Vikings:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/patricia-on-loss-to-vikings

Stafford on offensive performance in loss to Vikings:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/stafford-on-offensive-performance-in-loss-to-vikings

Jones on 4 touchdown’s against Vikings: https://www.detroitlions.com/video/jones-on-4-touchdown-s-against-vikings

Coleman on executing better:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/coleman-on-executing-better

Walker on learning from Vikings loss:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/walker-on-learning-from-vikings-loss

Kennard on defenses role in Week 7 game:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/kennard-on-defenses-role-in-week-7-game

Flowers on Vikings play action:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/flowers-on-vikings-play-action

Lions react to Week 7 loss to Vikings:  https://www.detroitlions.com/video/lions-react-to-week-7-loss-to-vikings

Every Marvin Jones catch in four-TD game vs. Vikings | Week 7:  http://www.nfl.com/videos/detroit-lions/0ap3000001067724/Every-Marvin-Jones-catch-in-four-TD-game-vs-Vikings-Week-7

Debate: What is wrong with the Lions defense?:  https://www.freep.com/videos/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/20/detroit-lions-defense-minnesota-vikings-analysis/4048940002/

Breaking down Lions' loss to the Vikings:  https://www.detroitnews.com/videos/sports/nfl/lions/2019/10/20/breaking-down-detroit-lions-loss-minnesota-vikings/4048663002/